Celiac Disease Screening
Reviewed
Also called: celiac disease antibody test, anti-tissue transglutaminase antibody (anti-tTG), deaminated gliadin peptide antibodies, anti-endomysial antibodies
A celiac disease screening is a blood test that looks for signs that you may have celiac disease, an autoimmune disorder that causes a serious allergic reaction to gluten.
Specimen: Blood
Why this test may be ordered
- To help diagnose celiac disease in people with symptoms or risk factors.
- To monitor celiac disease and see if a gluten-free diet is relieving symptoms.
Preparation and collection
If the test is being used to diagnose celiac disease, you'll need to continue to eat foods with gluten for a few weeks before testing. Your provider will give you specific instructions about how to prepare for the test. If the test is being used to monitor celiac disease, you don't need any special preparations.
A health care professional will take a blood sample from a vein in your arm, using a small needle. After the needle is inserted, a small amount of blood will be collected into a test tube or vial. You may feel a little sting when the needle goes in or out. This usually takes less than five minutes.
There is very little risk to having a blood test. You may have slight pain or bruising at the spot where the needle was put in, but most symptoms go away quickly.
Understanding results
This test can tell if you have celiac disease by looking for antibodies to gluten in your blood.
- Positive: You probably do have celiac disease. Limitation: If your results were positive or uncertain, your provider may order other tests to confirm that you have celiac disease and/or to see how much damage the disease may have caused. Next step: A biopsy to examine a tissue sample from your small intestine or your skin if you have a rash that could be from celiac disease.
- Uncertain or indeterminate: It's unclear whether you have celiac disease. Limitation: If your results were positive or uncertain, your provider may order other tests to confirm that you have celiac disease and/or to see how much damage the disease may have caused. Next step: Genetic testing to see if you have a gene linked to celiac disease.
- A positive result means you probably have celiac disease, but additional tests (e.g., biopsy, genetic testing) may be needed to confirm the diagnosis.
- A negative result means you probably don't have celiac disease, but a false negative can occur if you are not eating gluten regularly before testing.
- Uncertain results do not provide a clear diagnosis and may require further evaluation.
What to do next
If your results were positive or uncertain, your provider may order other tests to confirm that you have celiac disease and/or to see how much damage the disease may have caused.
- What symptoms or risk factors led to this test being ordered?
- Should I continue eating gluten before the test?
- What do my results mean for my diet and follow-up care?
Evidence source
Source: U.S. National Library of Medicine (MedlinePlus). Practices and reference ranges may differ in your country.